Tsunami Children’s delight with ‘Challenge Anneka’ Playground

A special episode of Challenge Anneka has been shown on ITV1 after a 12 year break. The special was aired on Boxing Day, the second anniversary of the Sri Lanka Tsunami that devastated over 1 million people and killed around 200,000.

The first series of Challenge Anneka was screened in 1989 on BBC1, the concept being to aid a charitable cause by getting companies and individuals to donate their product/services and time. This challenge saw Anneka and her team renovate a maternity clinic, children’s play centre and the community cricket pavilion which were severely damaged in the 2004 Tsunami, and have not been used since. The team had five days to transform the area.

The children’s centre part of the challenge was to build a new permanent play centre in Payagala in the Kalutara District, to decorate and equip it with educational aids, furniture, books and toys, and provide a fully equipped playground, garden and cricket and sports area.  When she arrived in Sri Lanka, Anneka found that the foundations have been laid and one wall built, but the rest is up to her and the team within the tight time limit.

The children needed somewhere safe and stimulating to go while the adults spend time getting their lives back on track and rebuilding other parts of their village.

The play area was designed, manufactured and supplied by Record RSS of Selby, which included swings, a roundabout, a seesaw and a slide.

Chris Lodge, Managing Director of Record RSS says “We are proud to have contributed to such an important and emotional project. The village children really love it”.

If you would like more information please contact:
Jayne Thomas
Marketing Co-ordinator
Record Playground Equipment Ltd
01757 703620

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